Internal-combustion engine.



W. HARPER, JR. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE as, 1913.

1,9 70%. Patented Dec. 26,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Witnes s e s: I l l lliam Harpez; J27,

" w 3 Ailioyc y.

W. HARPER. JR.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE18, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Invenbr; Iliam Harper, ]r.,

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

W. HARPER. JR.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED .IUNE I8, I9I3 3"SHEETSSIIEET 3.

Pe J

Inventor, [ham H WILLIAM HARPER, 33., OF NEW JBLOOMFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, IB'Y MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JAMES A. CAREY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

aeoayroe.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 2th, 191L653,

Application filed June 18, 1913. Serial No. 774,273.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLiAM HARPER, Jr, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New Bloomfield, Perry county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to the means for insuring an intimate mixture of oil and air which is charged to the powerchamber, and is especially adapted to explosive engines of the two-cycle type.

V The invention is further adapted partgcularly to a multiple engine arrangemen in which the engines are in spaced phase and 'a portion of the compressed charge of each I aiiin by turning the engine over in the usual way and Without preheating.

Further objects are to provide a construc tion in which all functions are taken carev of in a positive mechanical way without particular adjustment for wide variations in power and'wide range both in low and high speed.

Further ob ects are the complete scavenging of the cylinders, avoidance of back firing and the keeping of them free from deposit, and the complete combustion of the full charge in the cylinders under varying loads by preserving a constant perature of explosion. v

A further object is to provide an engine which will slow down without missing, and can even be stalled for a short time and be pressure and temself-starting whenreleased'by its own cylinder pressure.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings which form a part of this applieation Figure 1 is an elevation of a battery of three two-cycle engines embodying my invention, the crank-cases :tor the engines being in section. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec piston with the piston tion on the line II-H of Fig. 1 showing the position of the piston immediately before or upon ignition. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on the line Ill-H1 of Fig. 1 show ng the position of the piston at the end of a power stroke. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectlon through the engine cylinder on the line lV-IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section through the atomizerand a portion of the in position to receive anatomizer charge in its chamber.

The drawings show a battery of three engines operating in spaced relation so that they follow each other in power impulse at each third'of a revolution.

Each engine comprises a pair of tandem communicating cylinders of difierent diameters, the smaller cylinder 1 being closed at the, top, and the larger cylinder 2 being closed at the bottom by the crank-case 3. A

double-headed hollow piston 4: which forms within itself what I term a piston chamber operates in both cylinders and separates the cylinders into a power-chamber in the smaller cylinders, and a main-compression chamber in the larger cylinders and pistonchamber which latter are in communication. Between. the piston head and the larger cylinder is formed an annular compressionchamber. A connecting rod 5 connects the piston with the crank of the crank-shaft 6 of the engine.

Air for the engine is drawn into the main compression-chambers through rotary valves '7 7 carried by the crankshaft which open and close ports 8 8 in the crank-case. These are connected through a chamber in the crank-case to which air is admitted through an elbow in which is a butterfly valve 9 for throttling the air-supply to these ports which constitute the air-inlet to main reason of the small volume of this space and the air has its heat of compression turther increased by the radiation from the walls of the exhaust port. the wall of the clearance space admits the air to the annular compressionchamber.

W hen the compression is nearly comple...d

l Dll A check valve 12 set in a channel 13 in the piston Wall comes into register with a port 14: partly surrounded by the exhaust port of the power-chamber. From this port for the annular compressionchamber a pipe connection 15 leads in part through the exhaust connections 16 of the engine to an air-nozzle of an atomizer 17 of a different engine. Means are thereby provided for operating the atomizer when the piston is at the lowest point and during the first part of its up stroke. The nozzle is located in a port 18 in the wall of the smaller cylinder. This pipe connection is a transfer chamber from which air can be drawn by expansion for operating the atomizer if'desired when communication with the annular chamber is cut oil. The wall of the piston and the channel constitute a valve to cut oil the discharge of air from the annular compression-chamber until the stroke is' nearly completed and the air is highly compressed, and then to immediately release it to the atomizer before it has time to lose by radiation its heat of compression. The air is further heated in its passage through the exhaust connection and discharges through an annular orifice formed between the air-nozzle, and an oil-nozzle 19 with which the airorifice is concentric, the two constituting the atomizer. These parts are mounted in an oil-float casting 20 in which the oil level is preserved by a float 21. Attached to the oilnozzle is a lever 22 which passes through a spiral slot in a shield 23 so that rotation of the oil-nozzle by the lever will move it lon gitudinally to adjust the annular orifice. The oil-nozzle passes through two stufiing boxes 24 24 in the float casting and the space between is in communication with the oil under the float through a hole 25 in the casting. An orifice 26 continues the connection to the oil-nozzle. A passageway 27 leads from the cylinder port containing the orifice of the nozzle to the top of the float-chamber to equalize pressure so that flow. of oil Will be induced only by flow of air through the atomizer. A needle valve 28 is adjusted to control the flow of oil through the nozzle. The oil is brought to the float-chamber by a pipe 29.

The port in which theatomizer is located opens into the cylinder at two levels and when the piston is at the lowest point serves as a transfer port with a port 30 in the hollow piston wall through which air is trans ferred from the main compression-chamber to the power-chamber.

In operation each engine draws in air past the butterfly valve or throttle into the crankcase and main compression-chamber during the latter portion of the up-stroke of the piston when the rotary valves pf the crankcase are open. Then the charge in the power-chamber is fired and the piston descends compressing the air in the main compression-chamber. As the crank approaches the lower center the port in the piston comes opposite the transfer port and the compressed air rushes through this transfer port to the power-chamber. This admission of a certain percentage of scavenging air before the injectionof fuel eliminates the danger of back-firing and is the chief reason why the engine can be run at a much higher speed. Slightly later after enough air has entered the power-chamber to displace or scavenge the burnt gases, the atomizer starts by reason of the release of the air compressed, in the annular compression-chamber of another cylinder. The power-chamber is then charged with the atomized oil and the remainder of the air from the main compression-chamber. The charge is thus richest toward the end and this portion remains chiefly on the side of the power-chamber where it enters. It is partially divided off from leaner charge as the piston ascends by the deflector 31 on the piston head and brought next to the sparkplug 32, thereby insuring explosion.

When the engine is running light the airinlet to the main compression-chamber is partly throttled, and likewise the air-outlets at the atomizer nozzles. The scavenging air, which is delivered from the crank case, is then partially cut ofi, allowing only a small quantity to be transferred into the power-chamber. This light charge is deposited in the pocket formed at the right of the deflector 31 and elevated by the rising of the piston to the top of the cylinder in proximity to the spark plug, and the deflector, being nearly in contact with the top of the cylinder at the moment of ignition prevents the diffusion of the charge into the inert gas which has remained in the cylinder at the left of the deflector from the previous Working stroke. Then being fired by the spark, the expansion of combustion is cushioned against the residue of burnt gases held in the rest of the power-chamber with the result that, instead of an explosion of gas particularly with a heavy oil, there is merely a steady expansion during a small travel of the piston on the down stroke and the exhaust is practically at atmospheric pressure. 1N hen the engine is operating under heavy load and high speed the action of the motor is somewhat altered. For inand'recharged in a positive predetermined way in proportion to the speed and power which is being delivered by the motor.

To start up the engine the inlet to the main.compression-chamber is throttled and the engine turned over. The piston rising under these conditions creates apartial vacuum in the main compression-chamber and when the piston port comes opposite the atomizer nozzle the suction expands the air in the pipe connection or transfer-chamber leading thereto. An atomized charge is thus drawn into the top of the piston-head chamber, and, by reason of the rarefaction in the piston head chamber which follows with the further ascent of the piston, all communication with the atomizer being now out off, the particles of oil become highly comminuted and brought into a suitable condition for ignition and explosion. This charge is kept from diffusing into the air in the crankcase by reason of a partition 33 in the piston-chamber which together with the head of the connectin 'rodand the journals therefor prevent su cient communication for diffusion into the air below. A rich Stratified charge is thereby held directly under the piston head and during the operation of being transferred to the power-chamber has added to it a second charge accompanied by the highly heated air due to high compression from the annularcompressionchamber. The charge formed in this way is regularly introduced into the powerchamber thereby making a rich mixture on starting. This heat replaces the heatlost by the charge'atomized into thevacuum,-

and the two charges make a rich mixture which is immediately further compressed in the power-chamber and brought into a con dition for ignition and exploded before it has time to condense. As soon as the engine starts and the throttle slightly opened the suction through the piston port is eliminated and the atomizer only charges in the usual way into the power-chamber.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

-1. The combination of a plurality of internal-combustion engines operating in spaced phase, an atomizer for each,engine for supplying a charge thereto, an aircompression means, a connection from-the air-compression means of each engine to the atomizer of a different engine, and means for cutting off the discharge of the air from each engine until it is highly compressed and immediately thereafter releasing it to the atomizer, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a plurality of internal-combustion engines operating in spaced phase, an atomizer for each engine for supplying a charge thereto, an exhaust connection, an air-compression means, and

' and forming a and forming a power-chamber in the" smaller cylinder and an annular compression-chamber between the walls of the piston and the walls of the larger cylinder,

an atomizer for each engine, a connection from each compression-chamber to the atomizer of a different engine, and a valve formed in the wall of the piston for cut ting off the discharge of the air from each compression-chamber until it is highly compressed and immediately thereafter releasing it to the atomizer, substantially as described. e

4. The combination of a plurality of internal-combustion engines operating in spaced phase, each engine comprising tandem communicating cylinders of different diameters, .a piston fitting both cylinders power-chamber in the smaller cylinder and an annular compression-chamber between the walls of the piston and the walls of the larger cylinder an atomizer for each engine, an exhaust connection, and a separate connection from each compi'essiomchamber leading through the exhaust connection of the corresponding engine and to the atomizer of a difl'erent engine, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a plurality of internal combustion engines operating in spaced phase, an atomizer for each engine for supplying thereto a charge, an aircompression means, an exhaust connection, a connection from the air-compression means to each engine leading through the exhaust connection of said engine to the atomizer of a different engine, and means for cutting off the discharge of the air from each engine until it is highly compressed and immediately thereafter releasing it to the atomizer, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a plurality of internal-combustion engines operating in spaced phase, each engine comprising tandem communicating cylinders of different diameters, a piston fitting both cylinders and forming a power-chamber in the smaller cylinder and an annular compression-chamber betweeh the walls of the piston and the walls of the larger cylinder, an atomizer for each. engine, an exhaust connection, a connection from each compression-chamber leading through the exhaust connection to. the atomizer of a different engine, and a valve formed in the wall of Mid ternal-combustion the piston for cutting off the discharge of the air from each compression-chamber until it is highly compressed and immediately thereafter releasing it to the atomizer, sub. stantially as described.

-7. 'A two-cycle internal-combustion engine comprising a cylinder and a piston therein separating the cylinder into a powerchamber and a compression-chamber, an air-inlet to the compression-chamber, means for preventing the back flow of air through the inlet, an oil-nozzle located in a port in the wall of the cylinder opposite the opening of the port in the power-chamber for directing a fuel charge into the power-chamber, means independent of the compressionchamber for injecting the fuel charge from said port, means for conducting the fuel charge to the compression chamber and thereafter transferring the charge in the compression chamber to said port and thence to the power-chamber, and means for throttling the air supply through the inlet to the compression-chamber, substantially as described.

8. A two-cycle internal-combustion engine comprising a cylinder and a piston therein separating the cylinder into a powerchamber and a compression-chamber, an air-inlet to the compression-chamber, an atomizer located in a port in the wall of the cylinder for directing a charge into either chamber, a source of compressed air for the atomizer, means for throttling the air-supply to the compression-chamber, and means for transferring the charge in the compression-chamber to the power-chamber, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a plurality of inengines operating in spaced phase, each engine comprising tandem ommunicating cylinders of difierent diameters, a piston fitting both cylinders and forming a power-chamber 1n the smaller cylinder and an annular compression-chamber between the walls of the piston and the walls of the larger cylinder and a main compression-chamber in the larger cylinder, an atomizer located in aport in the Wall of the smaller cylinder for directing a charge into either the power-chamber or the main compression-chamber, a connection from each annular compression-chamber to the atomizer of a different engine, means for throttling the air-supply to the main compression-chamber, and means for transferring the charge in the main compressionchamber to the power-chamber, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a plurality of internal-combustion engines operating in spaced phase, each engine comprising tandem communicating cylinders of different diameters, a piston fitting both cylinders and forming a power-chamber in the smaller cylinder and an annular compression-chamber between the walls of the piston and the walls of the larger cylinder, and a main compression-chamber in the larger cylinder, an atomizer located in a port inthe Wall of the smaller cylinder for directing a charge into either the power-chamber or the main compression-chamber, a connection forming a transfer-chamber from each annular compression-chamber to the atomizer of a different engine, a valve for controlling the passage of air from the annular compression-chamber to the connection, means for throttling the air-supply to the main compression-chamber, and means for transferring the charge in the main compressionchamber to the power-chambensubstantially as described.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this sixteenth day of June, 1913.

WILLIAM HARPER, JR

Witnesses SAMUEL W. BALCH, HUGH H. SENIOR. 

